The field of this invention is a method of using an iodo-substituted acrylonitrile compound as an antimicrobial.
Halogen substituted acrylonitrile compounds are well known and have been used for a variety of uses. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,433,742 discloses that halogen-substituted aorylonitrile compounds may be used to control insects, particularly by the fumigation of enclosed spaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,294,777 discloses a substituted compound of the formula: ##STR2## wherein R.sub.5 to R.sub.8 can be identical or different and represent hydrogen, nitrile, halogen or other substituents. These compounds are taught to be useful in a process for color stabilizing an aromatic carboxylic acid chloride.
PCT International Publication Number WO 89/07890, published Sep. 8, 1989, to Harold A. Brandman et al., discloses an .alpha.-halo-.beta.-(substituted)thio-acrylonitrile of the formula: ##STR3## wherein X is a halogen and R is a lower alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, heterocyclo, or a thiocarbonyl group. This compound is taught to be useful as an effective antimicrobial agent.
The desirability of identifying or discovering new antimicrobial agents is widely recognized for several reasons. These reasons include the development of microbe strains resistant to known antimicrobials, the occurrence of undesirable interactions of certain known antimicrobials with the medium or product in which the antimicrobial is used, and high toxicity of certain known antimicrobials to certain non-target organisms such as mammals.
The present invention solves these problems by disclosing a compound which may be employed as an antimicrobial.